I recently read what I thought was a profound quote: “Truth should not be sacrificed because some are offended by it”. I believe we invite conflict because we do not speak the truth and invite discussion in order to understand the truth. Our PC culture says, “Thou shalt offend no one” – even if you must avoid the truth.

An example might be the debate around refugee immigration. First, do you know that the constitution does NOT directly ban discrimination based upon race, color, sex or creed?  I know, I did not know that either.  We get our thinking on that from language and court rulings related to the 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments to the Constitution.  Having said that, the Constitutional Amendments protect the rights of CITIZENS of the U.S., so waving the constitution saying we are violating it by keeping some citizens of foreign countries out, simple is not a solid legal argument. The words of the Constitution cover citizens ONLY. While some might find that offensive, it is the truth!

Maybe it would be helpful to speak clearly and truthfully about what America is.  It is a unique country in its design and its culture. That is not to say that it is the perfect model or the “right” model.  It is “a” model.  There undoubtedly are other ways for moral people – even God-fearing people – to structure a country.  But, this is the way our forefathers structured ours. So, when we say “this is America and how we do things”, we are not saying this is the best or the only way.  We are saying this is how we do it and this method and process was selected with great thought and we want to keep things this way.  Some of those processes are the structure, power and limitations of government while other things are more cultural and accepted practice. Things like driving on the right, walking on the right when we encounter opposing walkers, queuing for passing through choke points like turn styles rather than charging en mass as is done outside western Europe and North America, respecting private property, owning personal weapons, recognizing that “ALL men” in the Constitution means ALL regardless of sex or color (it took us a while to get clear on that point), forbidding our government from establishing a religion while permitting the free expression of religion, the right to a speedy trial, the right to counsel, the right to a jury trial and on and on and on.  That IS America!

My point is – this is what makes America unique.  We don’t expect others to model us, we don’t desire praise, we don’t want to be revered for our wisdom.  We simply want to say that our Founding Fathers that came to this land and settled it, came here for one primary thing and that is personal freedom. In the early days, most came from western Europe where they felt oppressed.  My own ancestors on my mother’s side came to this country from Metz, France due to religious persecution. Others felt the crown was taxing too heavily. The underpinning – the backbone – when we think of America is personal freedom – the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Very reluctantly, we entered WWII and sacrificed the blood of our sons and daughters to free Europe from Nazi rule. We are a benevolent country.  We have given the most lives and the most money by any measure of any country in history. We are an immigrant nation.  Nearly everyone that traces their roots finds the foreign connection from one to ten generations back. The immigrants came, contributed and became part of the fabric of the American culture.

Today, we seem to be apologetic about who we are.  We seem to be apologetic about the uniqueness that makes up the American culture. We have said repeatedly that America is unique, so people coming here can expect some things to be different. They should expect to contribute and adapt, yet they can expect to experience the personal freedom to pursue life, liberty and happiness.

Immigrants adapting to the American culture has implications.  #1 – they have to become part of our society. We have seen large numbers of Mid-Eastern immigrants come into France, Germany and Sweden and form isolated communities where little or no integration or adaptation takes place.  In parts of Paris, things are so bad that law enforcement does not even enter some suburbs occupied by the new immigrants for fear. #2 – the pace of immigration has to be at a rate that permits the host society to take in the immigrants. Plainly stated – we do not want to become northern Mexico culturally. The rapid influx of Hispanics from Mexico and Central America has been too rapid for integration into our culture. For the first time, it feels like our culture may be getting overrun.  Some estimates say that as many as 12 million Hispanics have some to this country illegally.  A recent estimate is that Hispanics made up 30% of all immigrants coming to the U.S last year. America has long been known as the “melting pot”.  That implies a blend of peoples coming together in the name of personal freedom and adapting to the culture.   Of all the countries and cultures in the world, to have 30% from essentially one culture seems like would “flavor” or impact the pot too much.  #3 – immigrants have to contribute to our society. Too many stories have been told of immigrants coming to America to tap into our welfare system.  I don’t know the magnitude of this.  I do know that is why we need secure borders and a vetting process.  We need a balance of people with an eye to people that bring special skills and talents – technology, artistic skills, craftsmen, caregivers, agricultural workers and on and on. This influx should not be random.  It should be managed.

Finally, I have been challenged by folks that I certainly respect to consider if this “managed” approach to thinking about immigration is consistent with Jesus’s teachings about caring for “the least of these” as found in Matthew 25. What I propose as a national strategy or thought process regarding immigration and maintaining our culture in no way precludes any of us from hearing this Gospel message and acting upon it as we feel led every day of our life. Secondly, in my way of thinking there are not more important souls and less important souls.  If by bringing in more immigrants today puts our country at risk of being able to continue as the benevolent country we have been and be in a position to take in more souls tomorrow, I don’t think the Lord would look kindly on that.  So, for me, there is no conflict with what I have written here and being faithful to the Gospel.

Let’s begin to speak truthfully and humbly about America, what it is and the requirements to see it long endure.